Donald Trump faces another defamation lawsuit from another one of the many women who’s accused him of sexual assault. Longtime Elle advice columnist E. Jean Carroll described in June how, in the 1990s, Trump shoved her against a wall, pulled her tights down, and penetrated her in a department store dressing room. In response, Trump predictably denied ever having met Carroll (a photo from the 1980s shows them together) and insulted her looks. Those denials form the basis of her defamation suit.
Trump insisted that “It never happened, she’s not my type,” with the telling omission that he did not deny the attack was the type of thing he would do.
“I am filing this on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed and belittled,” Carroll said in a statement. “No person in this country should be above the law – including the president.”
Carroll’s lawsuit was filed in New York State Court, where judges have let another, similar suit proceed. In that case, former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos is suing for defamation after Trump’s denials of her allegation that he had groped and kissed her against her will.